Ha!
Xiao Jie kicked the green monster before him in the neck with all his strength.
His brows knitted tightly, his eyes filled with disbelief, for his attack had actually had no effect whatsoever.
He took a step back, utterly terrified, and asked in a trembling voice, "You... what kind of monster are you?"
Although Xiao Jie possessed considerable talent in martial arts, he often thought about how he had never encountered a good master, and how he had spent far too little time training. He had always wanted to become the disciple of Wumu, who had saved him three years ago.
The monster before him, Tambourine, curled his lips into a savage grin and let out a strange "Heh heh heh," as though mocking Xiao Jie's helplessness.
He sneered, "Brat, you're far too weak."
Then his sharp claws swept out, effortlessly ripping open Xiao Jie's chest and sending blood splattering everywhere.
Xiao Jie sucked in a pained breath. His heart filled with unwillingness and fear, but even more than that, with horror at this unknown monster.
He wanted to fight back, only to discover how insignificant his strength was before this terrifying monster.
Tambourine seemed quite pleased with his handiwork. He glanced around and muttered to himself, "Another dozen or so..."
With that, his figure vanished into the night like a gust of wind.
Xiao Jie lay on the ground, feeling the searing pain from his chest, his heart filled with endless confusion and fear.
He could not understand how such a monster could exist in this world.
His vision gradually blurred and his consciousness began to grow hazy, but his heart remained filled with the desire to survive and fear of the unknown.
"The melon soda you requested is here." Xiao Wu walked softly up to King Piccolo, carefully carrying a large basin of green liquid that gave off a fresh fragrance in both hands.
There was a trace of awe in her eyes.
King Piccolo sat in his chair with a lofty air and made a sucking motion from a distance.
The liquid in the basin seemed to be drawn by an invisible force and slowly began to diminish.
"Great Demon King, sir, how would you like to proceed with collecting the Dragon Balls?" the crow-man standing nearby asked, his tone respectful yet cautious.
"Hmm... add another warrior and have him collect them." After a moment's thought, King Piccolo slowly issued his order.
His voice was cold, as though he already had a plan for all of this.
Add another one?!
Upon hearing this, the Pilaf Gang's expressions changed drastically. They exchanged glances, their eyes full of terror.
Shu secretly leaned toward Pilaf's ear and whispered, "He's going to do that again."
"I really don't want to watch. It'll ruin my appetite," Pilaf grumbled quietly, frowning.
"You mustn't, Great Demon King! Laying another egg now will drain your stamina and hasten your aging. At this rate, you'll die before you've even conquered the world."
The crow-man hurriedly tried to dissuade him, concern for the Great Demon King's safety evident in his voice.
"Nonsense. I only need to endure a little longer to obtain the Dragon Balls. Using my magic a few more times before I get them won't kill me."
King Piccolo dismissed his objections, seemingly having already made his decision, with absolute confidence in his endurance and magic.
As he spoke, King Piccolo strained his entire body and began chanting an incantation under his breath.
Then, astonishingly, he spat an egg as large as a dinosaur egg out of his mouth, saliva still clinging to its surface. The sight was both wondrous and somewhat nauseating.
Everyone present could not help inwardly complaining at the sight. The Great Demon King's methods were truly shocking, yet no one dared utter a word; they could only marvel silently to themselves.
"Awaken! Your name shall be Cymbal!" King Piccolo told the egg before him, his tone carrying a hint of anticipation and commanding force.
The enormous egg trembled for a moment, then cracked open. A dragon's head resembling that of a Western dragon emerged, then opened its eyes and slowly stood up.
"Are you awake, Cymbal?" King Piccolo asked again, a hint of satisfaction and anticipation flickering in his eyes.
"Yes, Great Demon King," Cymbal replied, his voice filled with awe and loyalty.
"You understand, don't you?" King Piccolo asked again, his tone full of gravity.
"Your command is to collect the remaining Dragon Balls," Cymbal answered clearly, demonstrating his understanding of the order and his determination to carry it out.
"Where is the next Dragon Ball?" King Piccolo turned toward Pilaf and the others, his gaze like a searchlight that left nowhere to hide.
Hearing the Great Demon King's voice, Xiao Wu hurried to check the Dragon Radar, her movements swift and nervous, as though she were carrying out a momentous task.
Pilaf then told Cymbal the location of the nearest Dragon Ball. Cymbal bid King Piccolo farewell and flew out of the airship, his figure streaking across the sky like a meteor before disappearing beyond the distant horizon.
"Mm..."
Son Goku lay on the ground and slowly opened his eyes. Through his blurred vision, he saw a frog hopping about, leaving overlapping images. He pushed himself up with effort, his body trembling slightly. "Right, I was... by him..."
Before he could finish, a wave of dizziness struck him, and his body dropped uncontrollably back to the ground.
He held his head, his brows tightly furrowed. "It hurts. Just how long was I out?"
Then his stomach growled, and Son Goku looked around for something to fill it.
His eyes suddenly lit up as he spotted several tempting pieces of fruit hanging from a nearby tree.
He immediately ran over, easily plucked one, and put it into his mouth. His hunger made even this simple fruit taste especially delicious.
But fruit alone was nowhere near enough to satisfy his hunger.
I'm only a little less hungry. My stomach still feels empty, he thought.
Just then, an enticing aroma drifted past. Son Goku followed it and saw a large fish roasting over a fire not far away.
A gleam flashed in his eyes. He immediately pounced on it and began taking huge bites without the slightest hesitation.
The delicious fish made him exclaim with heartfelt admiration, "Wow! Delicious!"
In no time at all, only a skeleton remained of the once-plump fish.
Son Goku lay on the ground, feeling more satisfied than ever.
"Ah... that meal really hit the spot!"
As he spoke, he patted his belly contentedly, as though thanking his stomach.
After lying there for a while, he suddenly sprang to his feet with a kip-up and moved his body around, feeling that he had recovered quite well.
"This time, I absolutely won't lose to him again."
Brimming with confidence, he shouted, "Flying Nimbus!"
"Flying Nimbus!"
His voice echoed through the empty valley, but there was still no sign of the Flying Nimbus.
Suddenly, realization dawned on him.
"Right, how could I forget? That monster blasted the Flying Nimbus apart."
Son Goku's spirits instantly plummeted from the clouds to the bottom of a valley.
"Damn it! He even killed the Flying Nimbus. Damn it, I'll never forgive him."
Just as he was seething with anger, a huge rock hurtled toward him. Son Goku nimbly leaped up and landed firmly on a small rocky hill.
"Bastard! Who are you? Where are you?" Son Goku roared, his voice full of displeasure and fury.
Just then, a round, fat fellow slowly walked out and spoke with a look of disdain.
"Who are you calling a bastard? I should be the one saying that!"